Category: HOTELS AND TRAVEL.

All the journeying and dwelling of a trip.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsDec 3, 20241:55 am

MERIDA, MEXICO 24, HAS LOST IT’S LOST CHARM.

OR, ALL TOO EXPENSIVE, TRASHY AND BUSY FOR A WEARY OLD BIRD.

Know that feeling! Agave hangover and how I’m feeling about Merida now

My arrival in Merida was as one so travel weary and on the point of collapse that any hovel would have done to rest my head but I had booked what looked like a fair old style hotel. I had been travelling for twelve hours on two coaches, and my having had a rough last nights sleep in the cabana at Xpuhil added to a hideous fatigue. Boy the Mexicans like to party and play live music really loud all fucking night! Getting out of Xpuhil proved quite tricky and at one point I felt like I would never leave that little dust covered town. It had made an excellent base for archaeology but the escape was hard with very few buses and at horrific and dangerous times at night! One option had meant getting the 4a.m. bus to Campeche! I did consider it but then decided to opt for a safer route via Chetumal.

I’ve changed my travel plans so many times now I barely know where am when I awaken each morning. It’s scary and never been as bad as this before. This ever changing weather was mostly to blame at the beginning then my bad sunburn. Then the bad advice to go to Bacalar after Tulum that cost me a fortune hence cancelling a beach trip. Then staying the extra day in Xpuhil in my loud but lovely cabin. Then changing my route from Xpuhil to Merida via Chetunal rather than via Campeche. It had all been very confusing and hard work and frankly at times awful. Such is the beast of any travel, but when it’s solo it’s much harder. Much gnashing of teeth and hanging around between the super busy clambering of ruins. Many highs and lows. Much disappointment in the new Mexico and lamenting the old.

Not bad for 107 years old. Much how I feel at the moment

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsOct 31, 20243:15 pm

TULUM HERE I COME! VIVA MEXICO!

OR, FINALLY RETURNING TO MEXICO, AND FLYING AFTER ONE YEAR OF CLIPPED WINGS.

Hello my old birds! Sitting here with a big sloppy grin on my face after having finally purchased my ticket, booked a flat for the first eight days and got some Pesos in my trembling hands after two long years.

I’m very chirpy and, well, not really believing it. I’ve scraped together enough money if I starve a bit, for a month there. One week in my beloved Tulum for a little reconnaissance with old pals hopefully, and much needed beach, sun, swimming, mojitos and rest. It’s been a foul year so I really need this.

What my new accommodation might look like this time. Joking cave paintings near Mitla 2021

The angels approve as I don’t know if you’ve seen, but they’ve just discovered a huge ancient city in the jungle in Campeche area just ten minutes away from where I stayed in Xpuhil. This was on my road trip (bus trip) to as many sites as were open in the year of lockdown (you know what I think of that!) It was after the terribly disappointing trip to Palenque where they had closed the on site museum with all the real treasures in and herded us round a small circuit that was not very interesting to a pro like me. So a quick reminder below.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsAug 24, 20232:43 pm

RECAP OF FISH RESTAURANT, ORCHIDS AND AYDIN MUSEUM. TURKIYE.

OR, LUSH GARDENS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FABULOUS ARTEFACTS

I made it the other day to my paradise and was exulted to breathe that clean mountain air again and drink water from the mountain spring. After being here in winter the garden had developed into a jungle of flowers (especially orchids), herbs, vegetables and fat fish swam lazily in their pool unaware that for some it would be their last day before being cooked!

The family gave me such a welcome that it brought tears to my eyes. I had been gone so long! A great fuss was made of me which made me very happy indeed. My pals were very impressed too! It looks like I’ll be squeezed into a cabin there as I’m family!

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJun 27, 202312:59 pm

BACK FLYING AGAIN AFTER A SMALL NERVOUS BREAKDOWN!

OR MY SEARCH FOR A BETTER LIFE IS LOOKING GOOD. Depression hit me like a wall after trying to be positive during my horrible break from travelling thanks to the government nicking my savings for […]

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsJan 25, 202311:08 am

FINDING MY PARADISE IN EPHESUS TURKEY.

OR, HANGING OUT IN SELCUK (EPHESUS)

I’m in the middle of my trip and haven’t had a chance to report in! Been super busy since I got here and knackered for the most part so here’s where I’m at present.

Well my old birds, I’m stuck out here after we cocked up a bit! I have moved from Tire to Selcuk for the rest of my stay at a lovely pension which is a stone’s throw from the magnificent Ephesus. I now have a little breathing space to relax after over-partying on Friday! I was a little too exuberant celebrating on Friday night and rather suffered yesterday. I was a bad old bird.

14th century Hammam by restaurant and pension ISA BEY HAMAM
The bath consists of an elongated rectangular core structure with a central domed room, the hot bang room, which was surrounded by special bathing rooms. To the north are adjoined a lukewarm room without any bathing function, and side rooms with a toilet. To the south lay the warm water reservoir and the furnace room. The bath was entered from the north via a peristyle courtyard. To the east were shops, and in the west was a separate bathing area for women. Constructed in the 24 half of the 14th century A.D., the path was only operational for 60-80 years. Already by the mid-15th century, it served as a cemetery.

Today however I went out and did my favourite stuff, museums and archaeology. This is truly a magical place.

I visited the actual Ephesus ruins two years ago so today had a chance to see some of the artefacts removed and placed in their fine museum in town. As I am still weary I have returned to my Rebetika Pension and am on the top terrace in blazing sunshine writing this with my beer and in a much more relaxed state of mind.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsNov 7, 202212:09 pm

HURTLING OUT OF CONTROL.

OR THE LAST GHASTLY DAYS OF SICKNESS AND THE DECLINE OF THE BIG TRIP Alert : This post is very late coming as it’s been crazy here with people going a bit mad and me […]

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsOct 17, 202212:43 pm

THE WONDERFUL UNDERWATER KINGDOM.

OR SUNSTROKE HITS HARD AFTER OVER-ENJOYING BEING A MERMAID.

You had to be an old mad bird to end up with sunstroke from being too in love with a turtle.

I’m a dummy. That beautiful girl, my turtle, took me for such a ride that I hadn’t wet my head once in the half hour I was with her and returning to the boat. This was in the searing midday sun in Indonesia central! I would be more penitent later as the full horror of proper sunstroke waved over me. I should have known better I’d had it before, but this time it was horrendous. I was pretty much bed bound for the next couple of days before I left this island paradise.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsSep 30, 202212:11 am

SNORKEL BUNAKEN! CORAL AND FISH GALORE.

OR, ISLAND LIFE, THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY.

I had survived my lengthy trip from Jakarta with all its trials and tribulations and arrived in Bunaken and got back from my first fabulous official snorkelling tour and was a little singed and sandy but triumphant. I had stopped and had a cocktail at the beach and got back to my dwelling ready for a shower and dinner before hitting the sack. I was knackered. I’d had little sleep the night before and had swum about for miles with all the excitement of being in this amazing place. As soon as I got back the woman told me that food was ready and to sit down out on the large terrace, my food was ready.

Beach bar at the harbour for incoming boats.

SOLO TRAVEL FOR WOMEN by oldbirdtravelsSep 10, 20221:20 pm

MALACCA THEN JAKARTA.

OR, TIMING IS EVERYTHING, MINE WAS PANTS.

Top Tip: However well organised you are things can go awry. There was no way to know that they had stopped boats over the Straight of Malacca to go to Indonesia without having to retrace my steps to KL then fly to Jakarta. There was no way of knowing that a massive and contentious protest was on the very weekend that I was over in Jakarta so many things were closed. Shit happens and you just have to deal with it when you’re on the road solo travelling. This however did weaken me again after my healing time in Kuala Lumpur. This was a real bummer as stress always is a thing to avoid when you’re trying to rebuild your immune system as I explained in a previous blog “How My Troubles Began” When travelling, however much of an itinerary you have, you must take time out and rest up. I tried to squeeze in a lot making up for lost time which never works does it now hmmmm?

Photo of me having lost loads of weight in Kuching

After my huge success in fabulous Kuala Lumpur, I got a bit cavalier and decided to go to Malacca which people said was lovely. I really should have learned by then that most tourists are idiots and headed straight onto my snorkelling target on the remote island of Bunaken. Stupid, stupid old bird.